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Due to a family health crisis that began in mid-June, my contributions to the paper have been, at best, sporadic. My memory of the past eight weeks is jumbled, with days and weeks running into one another. And to be entirely honest, I can’t recall what I have submitted, when I submitted them, or, for that matter, what the articles were about. I hope they were halfway decent.

That being said, it’s also worth mentioning that I’ve done very little fishing since mid-June. That’s an important consideration to keep in mind, coming from a guy that is supposed to have his finger on the outdoor pulse.

It’s good to have friends in high places, and when I’m in a real fix I can always count on the gang at Frankie’s Live Bait to share what information they have on the local bite. Oh sure, they still require me to present them with a over-sized briefcase loaded with small, unmarked bills in exchange for up-to-the-minute fishing reports, but I’m committed to giving you good information. That’s just the kind of guy I am.

This morning was one of those fairly rare moments when I sat down at the computer to hammer out an article (based on firsthand knowledge that simply didn’t exist) and completely drew a blank. Fish? What fish? Where? I haven’t even heard rumors about any fish.

The guys at Frankie’s report that, despite the long, hot stretch of weather we’ve experienced, crappies are being caught in high numbers. Fish are being caught in 15 to 20 feet of water around Nelson Island on North Center Lake. Crappies have also been quite cooperative near Pancake Island on South Center Lake, as well as around Chisago Lake’s main basin in 12 to 20 feet of water.

Sunfish have been plentiful of late. Basically, look to 6 to 10 feet of water in and around the weedlines for active fish. Reports are that all of the area lakes are producing numbers of good eaters.

If you chase largemouth, look no further than Chisago Lake. The special regulation for bass remains in place (all bass 12-inches and larger must be immediately released), which bodes well for anglers. There are an awful lot of big bass in the lake, and many large fish have been taken on jigs and plastic along the lakes’ outer weedlines.

I know that this is an outdoors column, but if you’ll permit me, I’d like to close on a few personal notes.

What I’ve experienced during the past couple of months has been new to me. Uncharted waters, if you will. I’m still sleep-deprived and exhausted and the recollections of recent days and weeks are foggy at best. There are, however, plenty of good things to learn every day, even during trying times. I now know for a fact that if there are people in your life that really matter, tell them what they mean to you and tell them often. Also, it’s not such a good idea to put off plans you’ve made with others. Mark your calendar with ink and do whatever it is you plan to do with them. Don’t make excuses. Our ability to do things tomorrow isn’t always certain, and guarantees are sketchy, at best.

My mother wasn’t simply my mother; she was one of my very best friends. We’d talk nearly every day about this and that and nothing in particular. She enjoyed and looked forward to reading my articles each week, and I’ll miss hearing her say after putting the paper down, “That was wonderful,” or “That one may be your best yet.” Even if the piece was mediocre or downright crummy, I could count on her to liberally and kindly dispense much-needed words of encouragement. It is a small wonder why mom was always my favorite critic.

Dan Brown’s weekly outdoor column is brought to you by Frankie’s Bait and Marine, in Chisago City, and St. Croix Outdoors, in St. Croix Falls, Wis.

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